“Make the politicians go for just one day without food at Queen’s Park – that would be a start” In every community I asked the question – ‘What do we have to do to make the politicians put food in the budget and raise the rates to a level that ensures people can live a life of health and dignity?’ It is interesting that there was only one real suggestion about what we have to do – and it comes from people who are poor. “Make them live on my budget and in my house for a month.” Another person said to me “Make the politicians go for just one day without food at Queen’s Park. No breakfast, no coffee, no lunch or snacks or dinner. Have them work all day and then see what that is like. That would be a start.” If we listen to this advice then it means as allies we should be constantly challenging politicians to do exactly that. Maybe we can offer to ‘accompany’ the politicians and take the challenge with them. There are already many activities and exercises that people who are not poor can participate in to raise their awareness and deepening their understanding. These experiences can increase empathy and understanding. The problem is that often it is people who are already the allies of people who are poor who are doing this. Maybe we need to mobilize a broad based demand that Premier Wynne live on a social assistance income for a month? Service providers and allies answered the question by identifying the barriers to making politicians act on poverty. This is a very helpful list - because the strategy to make politicians act has to overcome these barriers.
This list of factors resisting change may seem overwhelming. But Paulo Freire the popular educator from Brazil said that for a strategy for social change to be effective it has to take into account the reality of the resistance it faces. Freire calls this quality ‘critical hope’. The feedback we received from people about the reasons that politicians won’t act on poverty informs how we develop ‘critical hope’ and can help us develop effective strategy and successful movements for social change. In fact, many of the people I met said there is a growing movement for social justice and that they are part of it. So are the hundreds of you who have been reading these daily reports, as well as the many thousands of people in Ontario who act every day in many different ways to create more equity and equality in our society. On Monday of this week the leadership group of the Put Food in the Budget campaign discussed all the issues that were raised in the tour of communities in northwestern Ontario. The leadership of the campaign values this feedback and we will continue to reflect on it as we develop our strategy and initiatives. As Kathy Campbell said to me in Red Lake – “remember us” – and we will. A summary report of the tour of northwestern Ontario is being prepared and will be available later in the summer. We will also communicate more with you about our campaign activities in the coming months. The leadership of the campaign says a very big ‘thank you’ to everyone who organized and participated in a meeting, who read the reports and who donated money to support this initiative. Ron Williams closed our steering committee meeting on Monday with these words – “la lutta continua”, the struggle continues. Mike Balkwill Provincial Organizer Put Food in the Budget campaign. Put Food in the Budget You are subscribed to this organization's email list as [log in to unmask]. |
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"The economic system may not infringe anybody’s individual rights, but the whole machine ends up reproducing enduring types of social inequality…
What about the economic insecurity of our poorest fellow citizens? Why can’t our politics address this?
It can’t be because everyone has shared the fruits of our recent economic boom. It can’t be because the poor don’t exist.
It must be because they have become invisible."
- Michael Ignatieff
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